


Strung Through a Loom

by Ryjora



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, QMAU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2020-01-15 05:57:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18492787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ryjora/pseuds/Ryjora
Summary: When a voice tells Silk that a sibling was left behind in The Abyss, Silk has to make a journey there to save them herself.Plotline comes from the Queen Mother AU, available at https://sothequeensays.tumblr.com/Design for Silk: https://i.imgur.com/v92gXl4.pngDesign for Quest: https://i.imgur.com/43TwtWx.png





	1. Crisis and Faith

 

Silk was an anxious vessel. So anxious, in fact, that Silk would probably be more content sitting around in the Queen’s Gardens for the rest of her life if it meant that she would be safe. Injured during the climb, with grave fractures in her skull to boot, Silk constantly felt on edge as a result.

If that wasn’t enough, Silk also had a nasty habit of hearing strange voices that no vessels she had spoken to could hear. A curse of insanity? These voices were dynamic, and all sought different things. One sought knowledge, another power. Despite all the voices Silk had heard in her relatively short lifetime, one was dreadfully persistent, and it was the voice which Silk despised most of all.

The voice wasn’t shrill or discordant, quite the opposite, it rolled over Silk’s mind like a calm sea, deep and warm, gently consuming Silk’s mind, and then suddenly freezing over when its message was understood. A mind bereft of activity is a mind consumed by madness, but rarely insane was this voice, instead, it presented warnings and fears of what was to come, as if anxiety manifest.

“If you do not give the Queen a gift today, your heart will explode.”

And like that, Silk was brought to work. Terror drove her to action, though rarely were the demands intolerable or threatening, the potential aftermath was often so undesirable that Silk would not have the guts to resist it. What if her heart  _ did _ explode. Does she even possess a heart to lose? It mattered not, because the mere potential drove her off the rails with terror.

On a morning like any other, when the flowers were in full bloom, and her siblings scurried about, playing ridiculous pranks on one another, training ever so often, Silk found herself in solitude again, sitting beneath the shade of a sprawling flower. In solitude, however, was the only place these voices could bother her so, so why would Silk be driven to such foolishness as isolation?

Silk’s anxieties pushed her away from making strong connections with the siblings around here. These anxieties were exacerbated by the voices she heard in solitude, and thereafter she pushed her siblings further away from her thoughts, and the cycle begins anew.

If it were a day like any other, Silk would start hearing voices shortly after waking up, but this time it was different. A wave of calmness flushed over her from the silence. However lonely, Silk vastly preferred this over the alternative. This peace did not last, as shortly after acknowledging the silence it was disturbed, and the anxiety festered.

“Vessel, one of your kind has been left behind in The Abyss. You must journey to retrieve and save them.”

Silk felt a shiver creep up her back and her wings tensed up. The mere mention of The Abyss stirred uncomfortable memories which Silk immediately shoved back deep inside of her. From the depths of her mind, a short phrase of crisis sprang forth, so powerful in nature, a whisper of it could not help but escape her before she could properly orientate herself to the situation.

“…Why…me.” Silk felt a lump in her throat as if she was desperately in trouble and on the verge of tears, which, to her credit, she practically was.

“Your siblings are too occupied and will not listen to my call.” The voice flooded back forth, much to Silk’s shock, as she was often only given one line of dialogue from it and no matter how many questions she asked, it never seemed to answer again. This time must have been different.

“I-I can’t do this, I can’t protect myself!” says the child.

“Only you can undertake this venture. All others would fail where you shall succeed. Should you not undergo this task, the lonely child shall die.” The voice replied. Work sat in front of Silk, but the call was held back by a mountain of worries.

“Mother forbids us from leaving the garden, a-and even if she didn’t, I hate that place! Please, I beg you, send another!” Silk cried out, tears slightly welling.

“Are you okay, Silk?” The frozen sea shattered, creating glaciers a dozen, leaving a mind neither focused as ice or calm as water, rather a mind consumed by anxiety. A mind lacking isolation was a mind lacking voices. Before she stood Quest, a slightly older brother, looking down upon her as if hurt or defective. A look of subtle pity that Silk had grown accustomed to.

Silk had tested the voice’s authenticity before, and a dire mistake it had turned out to be when it had been ignored. For a week, her mother had fallen ill because she refused the voice’s demand to give her fresh grapes. The voice lacked reason and sense, but nevertheless, its predictions and demands held truth.

Silk’s eyes traced the surrounding area as if among the tilework and flora, she had left her convenient excuse for who she had just cried out anguish to herself. Quest knew better, but nevertheless, Silk pushed her usual dialogue.

“I-It’s nothing, I’m fine, Quest!” She squirmed out the least convincing lie a vessel had ever attempted. Quest knelt down beside her and stared directly upon the floor to help alleviate her anxiety since eye contact could be a little intense.

“Silk, I...I know that you’re worried about everyone finding out-- perhaps even some of our nastier siblings making fun of you, but please, you know I would never tell them what you say to me.” Quest said with a tone of protective love.

Before Silk could respond, he continued. “I know that you said before that these voices act up when you’re by yourself-- when it’s quiet. Won’t talking about them so that they go away?” Silk paused for a moment and felt the social anxiety fade away, and fresh in its place, the crushing anxiety of her predicament.

“Please, brother, you  _ must _ journey into The Abyss! We left a sibling behind!!” Silk cried out in anguish. 

“Silk, I understand that you’re afraid of these...voices, but I personally was one of the last to leave the abyss. I searched for a good deal of time for any stragglers, as did many of our siblings.” Quest said with a great deal of passion.

“I-I know, but-!” Silk tried to begin

“And much to your credit, quite a few siblings we did find. Many late hatchers. If any  _ were _ left down there, it was almost certainly by choice.” Quest pulled out a map, as he was so often fond of creating, and over time was marginally improving. This map, however, was complete garbage, as it was the first one he ever made. It was covered in scribbles and strange shapes and didn’t contain a lick of direction or form.

“I know its not much to look at-- My cartography has certainly improved since this map, and I may still have a great deal to move forward with, but please take my word for it when I say we searched the abyss from top to bottom. You need not to worry.” Quest looked at her in the eyes as if to neatly put a signature on the end of a speech. “Alright?”

“...Okay, I’m sorry, Quest.” Silk was, however,  _ not _ alright. In a cruel twist of fate, the voice had proven itself to be true, since her siblings  _ did _ ignore the call. Quest was always willing to listen, and sometimes even help her appease the voice, but this demand was too much even for him.

“We’re supposed to start training soon. I know you don’t really like participating, but do you want to come to watch?” Quest stood up and held out his hand for Silk, but she felt herself sinking inwards.

“I...I think I’m going to stay here, just for another moment. Maybe I’ll come to watch in a few minutes?” Silk couldn’t look at Quest in the eyes or she might change her mind. He had a knack for being more convincing than her other siblings.

“...Alright, just, try not to stay by yourself for too long, okay?” Quest said before giving a parting hug. It was in-character for him, though she rarely saw him giving them to other vessels. Just her, she supposed. She hugged back, though it lacked the same conviction that he always had.

What if he was right? The illness could have been a cruel coincidence. The consequences of failure this time, though, the stakes have never been so high. Could she in good conscience afford to ignore the problems at hand?

“You must leave soon.” The voice flooded over her and froze her mind once again. She tried to push it away, but the lingering thoughts proved too much for her. She felt compelled to mentally plan out her journey to the darkest place in Hallownest.


	2. Cinder and Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Silk begins her journey out of The Queen's Gardens

Silk ventured to the library, acknowledging it as the only potential source of maps for the areas outside of the Queen’s Gardens. She began to search somewhat frantically, but luckily the library seemed empty.  _ It’s training time, I should be there with everyone else. _ Silk thought to herself.

“You do not need a map, we can guide you.” A voice rang in, but not the one which Silk loathes the most, rather, the one which most often asked to review lessons. An echo of curiosity, if you would. The voice was much more plain, much less absolute and consuming.

“Y-you’re just a voice in my head...if I don’t know where I’m going there’s no way you could, either.” Silk whispered to herself somewhat weakly.

“You’re wrong about that-- and stop calling us voices! We are shades.” The voice replied in an almost offended tone.

“What’s a shade?” Silk asked

“I’m not...entirely sure. That’s why I wish you would ask to learn more from the handmaidens-- surely  _ they _ will know the answer. They know everything!”

“Well if you’re not a voice, do you have a name?”

“My full title is Artassi the Seeker, but you can just call me Artassi.” They said the title with a weight of significance, like the title carried true and important meaning.

“And that horrible one-- the one who tells me prophecies, do  _ they _ have a name?” Just as Silk said that the anxiety-inducing voice flooded back through her, and she was peacefully reminded that it was all-present, never leaving her, ready to strike at any moment.

“Rebound the Prophet.” They said it plainly and simply, in stark contrast to Artassi. Rebound did not need to emphasize the importance of their title, the prophecies spoke for themselves. Before Silk could think of any meaningful words, they spoke again.

“You must start a fire in a precise location within this library to escape these gardens. If you do not do this, you may not arrive in time to save your kin.” Silk froze up.  _ A fire? _

“I-I can’t do that! I’ll get in so much trouble!! A-and these books-” Silk began to cry out

“If you do exactly as I say, no damage will come of this place, spare mildly damaging the carpet. The handmaidens will understand when you return with the vessel.” The command shot through Silk.

“...Nobody will get hurt?” Silk asked pensively.

“No one is in this building besides us. The handmaidens are experienced in many things, snuffing out a minor flame will be the least of their troubles.” Rebound’s voice echoed through Silk, and with it, purpose. Silk approached a dim candle.

“Simply knock it over-- it is already in the perfect spot. Then immediately run outside and tell the handmaiden guarding the nearby tunnel that there is a fire. When she goes to check on it, escape.” Silk hesitated, but then gently pushed the candle. It fell over and rolled onto the floor, and after just a moment a small fire started on the silk-woven carpet. Silk immediately rushed outside and towards the nearest handmaiden.

“F-fire!! Inside the library!” Silk cried out. The handmaiden immediately ran towards the library to investigate and, after putting her wrist near the handle for a moment, entered the building. Silk rushed through the tunnel moving as quickly as she could, and thankfully nobody else was nearby to spot her. After a good amount of running, Rebound spoke to her again.

“You don’t need to run anymore. From this point onwards, as long as you follow the path I tell you to, no handmaidens will be nearby to spot you.” A wave of relief rushed over Silk as she stopped for a moment to catch her breath. Looking down the tunnel, a gentle purple light shone through.

“...Shouldn’t I have taken a nail?” Silk asked. Silk wasn’t particularly  _ good _ at wielding one in any sense of the word, but Hallownest can be somewhat dangerous with thieves and muggers about.

“Had you taken a nail, the handmaiden would have been more suspicious of your actions. Because you were unarmed, she believed you wouldn’t try to escape. After all, only a fool would leave the gardens unarmed.” Rebound replied, but this time their voice felt slightly distant instead of echoing in her head. The sentiment was reassuring of Rebound’s capability, but at the same time, incredibly nerve-wracking.  _ Only a fool? _

Silk reached the end of the tunnel, and the area looked similar to the Queen’s Gardens, but there was a strange mist in the air and an abundance of strange bubble-like sacks lying around.

“Welcome to the Fog Canyon. The thick mist in the air will serve as a natural cover for you, but watch your step. Pools of acid are in this area-- I believe they help incubate the eggs.” It struck Silk as odd for Rebound to say something almost inquisitive. She had gotten used to perceiving Rebound as some sort of all-knowing entity. An illusion which now suffered a single crack in it.

A warm air filled the room, and nearby Silk could hear what sounded like chirps. Silk's gaze set towards its source, and found an Uoma floating close in front of her.

"A little balloon!" Silk exclaimed.

"An Uoma." Artassi interjected. "These strange creatures float around in place and discharge electricity when frightened. Very little record of them exists, but I'm not sure why…"

"So as long as I'm careful, they won't hurt me?" Silk asked, staring closely at it.

"I'd recommend just keeping your distance from them, just in case." Artassi replied.

"Alright." Silk simply walked around the small jellyfish and headed further into the canyon.

"You're going to want to head straight upwards from here to arrive at Greenpath. Since you have wings, flying will be your best bet." Rebound said. Strangely, ever since Rebound started speaking more often, their voice had felt less...invasive to Silk. Still a little overwhelming, but it didn't have the paralyzing effect it did before.

Silk looked straight upwards and saw a series of platforms she could land on to take short breaks from flying. A challenge which was uncomfortably familiar to her. After a moment's hesitation, she began to flutter her wings and ascend.

Silk went up platform by platform, and every time took a moment to catch her breath before proceeding again. She had questions, but no time to really get much in before she had to fly again. In between flights, she spoke.

"How long will this take?" There was a hint of exasperation in her voice, as if she had already journeyed a great deal over the last twenty minutes.

"If you follow instruction, you should be able to complete this journey in a day." Rebound replied.

"What path will we take?" Silk asked before taking flight again.

"A path has been planned, but it's not one you would be able to appreciate anyway. You don't know the layout of Hallownest." Artassi replied, bearing a hint of resentment. "The route will be long and indirect, taking you through the edges of the kingdom. It has to be like this to avoid as many guards as possible."

"...Ah…Jeez...Okay." Silk replied upon landing.

Suddenly a loud surge of noise blasted next to Silk. A massive creature floated next to her, significantly larger than the Uoma she had seen before. Before she could say anything more than a noise at the sudden surprise, Artassi spoke.

"An Ooma. I'm not actually sure if an Uoma grows up to be this thing or if they're separate creatures altogether. This creature doesn't  _ seem _ to discharge any electricity. We'd need to conduct more tests."

"Why is so little known about these creatures?" Silk asked, much more hesitant to approach this leviathan than an Uoma.

"I suspect that the mist makes the bugs of Hallownest uncomfortable, so maybe that's why?" Artassi replied.

"...I see. That makes sense!" Silk said before making one final brief flight upwards. When she crawled up on the next platform, it was more noticeable the subtle changes that had occurred during her ascent. The gentle glow had mostly faded and the air was clear now. The flora bore a striking resemblance to the Queen's Gardens, though a bit lighter, and there were much less visible structure and order than the gardens had.

"Did we go around in a circle?" Silk asked.

"Not at all! This area may be close by and look similar, but ultimately it is separate." Artassi said. "Welcome to Greenpath."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plotline comes from the Queen Mother AU, available at https://sothequeensays.tumblr.com/  
> Design for Silk: https://i.imgur.com/v92gXl4.png  
> Design for Rebound: https://i.imgur.com/HXMj5L0.png  
> Design for Artassi: https://i.imgur.com/zHmSIJr.png


	3. Fear and Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Silk travels through Greenpath

“Artassi, you’re going to want to head back soon.” Rebound said nearly immediately upon reaching Greenpath.

“Wh-” Artassi began, but was shortly cut off.

“Soon Quest is going to discover something spectacular, and you’re going to want to be there for it, or it will be unwitnessed by shades.” Rebound replied.

“O-oh! Okay, I’ll be back soon, Silk.” Artassi said.

“What’s Quest doing??” Silk inquired.

“He’s about to discover a use for SOUL other than healing. It’s quite magnificent, but don’t worry, you’ll see for yourself soon enough.” Rebound said, carrying a hint of ominousness. “Besides, you have more important matters on your hands.”

“Like wh-” Silk pressed before a voice cut through the leaves.

“Halt! Who goes there?” Cried out a deep and somewhat aged voice. With the voice, her connection with Rebound had been severed again, and she suddenly felt highly conscious about the risks of her situation. While not completely alone on her journey, she wasn’t with company in any ways that mattered. She bore no nail, not that she could stand her ground anyways, and here she was, in danger.

Silk turned towards the voice and saw a looming figure, tall and green, partly cloaked in leaves and moss, and wielding an impressive nail and shell. The shell had somewhat crude but deliberate engravings in it to resemble complex flora in the area. The scratchings around the engravings seems to indicate that it was done by nail after it was carved for use. The voice began again, accompanied by the figure’s advance.

“I repeat, who goes there?” The floral knight said. This set Silk into a form of panic. Should she tell the truth?

“M...My name is Silk.” She replied.

“Silk, I urge you to turn back from this path. Beyond me lies Unn’s Lake, guarded by many fearsome foes.” He began, and looked at Silk’s side. “You wield no nail?” Silk said nothing, but looked downwards. “...Very well, I will guide you back to the crossroads myself.”

Silk looked up in a panic. Was she even meant to head that way? She couldn’t hear Rebound anymore! Though, she supposed, they would have said something if she wasn’t supposed to listen to this stranger.

“W-what is your name?” Silk asked hesitantly.

“I am Thorn, Knight of Unn, and protector of Greenpath. I make it my duty to guide travellers back to the safety of the crossroads if they venture too closely to danger.” Thorn reached out his arm for Silk to grab, and when Silk gripped it in kind, they began a slow and steady journey out of Greenpath.

“It’s unusual to see a bug so young and small as yourself this far out. Do you have a family?” Thorn asked while leading them down the pathway.

“...Yes. A-a very large one, in fact, that’s how I got lost…” Silk’s voice trailed off as they entered the next area, and suddenly she had a moment to take in the true scenery of Greenpath. Unlike the Queen’s Gardens, Greenpath had a much more wild tone to it. There was more abundant natural lighting, and the gentle hiss of the acid pools also was accompanied by a soft glow. It was as if someone had taken the best aspects of the Queen’s Gardens and the Fog Canyon and combined them into one area.

The flora had grown organically, mostly untouched by bug-kind. The Gardens had a deep and direct meddling within it, which while it did keep it clean and easy to navigate, also deprived the area of wild growth, which is what gave Greenpath such a lush and vibrant hue.

“Where is your family?” Thorn said, breaking through Silk’s trance-like state.

“We...were at the Crossroads…” Silk desperately tried to remember the details about The Crossroads that Quest had told her recently, and then it hit her. “Near Dirtmouth.” she added.

“What in Hallownest were you doing coming out of fog canyon?” Thorn pressed.

“We...got into an argument, so I ran away and got lost in the canyon. I tried to head back upwards, but ended up here…” Silk said, stitching together lies somewhat seamlessly.

“I...see. To get back to them, there’s a fairly quick tunnel you can take to get there, it’s just up ahead.” Thorn said as they journeyed further out of Greenpath together. After just a moment, he spoke again. “So you don’t get along too well with your kin?”

“...Usually, but sometimes it’s just too much. Especially some of my siblings that like to tease me.” Silk said, and when Thorn looked back in interest, she continued. “Like my sibling Lummi,

“Are you able to fly with those wings?” Thorn asked.

“Yes, I can fly short distances.” Silk replied. Thorn quickly scaled up the side of a wall and landed on a higher platform, then looked down to Silk. After a moment, she flew upwards and landed next to him. Thorn turned to the east and pointed straight forward towards a tunnel. “If you head through there, it’s a straight line back to the Crossroads. Think you can make it?” He said with a hint of condescension.

“O-oh! Yes, I think I can, thank you.” Silk said and began to walk down the tunnel.

“And kid.” Thorn said, and Silk stopped. “I know talking to family isn’t easy, but trust me, they’re all you’ve really got.” Silk looked back.

“Yeah, thank you again.” She said before continuing ahead. The tunnel was...dark and wet. As Silk advanced, the tunnel seemed to get darker and darker and with every step she felt chills run up her back. Her wings tensed up and she started to pull inwards. Suddenly, she began to hear whispers wildly.

“She’s lost...again.”

“I can’t believe these vessels…”

“She’s going to get killed!”

Fear began to swell up in Silk’s chest and she knelt down shivering.

“Silk?” Rebound’s voice pierced the veil and overwhelmed her. She continued to shiver in place.

“They’re...too loud. Can’t you get them to stop talking?” Silk said holding back tears.

“...There’s nobody here but us.” Rebound said simply. A sentence which hit Silk like an oncoming tram.

“N...No other shades?” Silk managed.

“This is a dark passageway between the Crossroads and Greenpath with no living creatures besides you. Why would any other shades want to be here?” Rebound said. “Just keep going forward, there’s not much left in the tunnel.”

Silk managed to get up and continue to move forward. Was she crazy? Talking to shades wasn’t enough, it seems, now she was _imagining_ voices. Did she even hear any voices in the abyss? Was she just paranoid because of the darkness? Has she been afraid of shades for all this time...without reason?

After just a few more moments of trudging through darkness, and experiencing a mild existential crisis, Silk began to see light at the end of the tunnel, though it was soft, it brought her great comfort to move somewhere even slightly more bright.

“You’re going to need to overcome these crippling fears before we make it to the abyss.” Rebound began. “In the coming days you will need help from many sources, shade and vessel alike.”

“Wh..what do you mean by--” Silk began but her focus drifted to the area she entered into. The hall opened out to what seemed to be a public roadway, adorned with lanterns and mild greenery that had crept in from greenpath. The road was not paved per say, but had all large rubble removed from it so that large freights of cargo could be pulled through by stag beetles without bumping it around. Just in the distance,  Silk could hear the chatter of bugs and in an even greater distance, an increasingly loud pounding of stag beetle legs slammed into the ground, followed by the bustle of a heavy cargo cart. After a moment, a stag beetle ran straight through the road and past Silk.

The heavy noise was fairly intimidating. Though Silk had heard the beetles run before, it was always from a great distance, and always the sound of them coming to a stop. Additionally, bits of rock flung through the air with its passing speed as a violent wind trailed behind the mighty bug. Silk crossed the road quickly to avoid any potential oncoming traffic, and saw a sign pointing just ahead. Silk, still new to literacy, carefully focused on the letters and sounded out the word.

“H..ooooooot...Sp...rrrrrrring? H-o-t sp-ring...Hot spring!” Silk filled with excitement and pressed forwards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plotline comes from the Queen Mother AU, available at https://sothequeensays.tumblr.com/  
> Design for Silk: https://i.imgur.com/v92gXl4.png  
> Design for Rebound: https://i.imgur.com/HXMj5L0.png  
> Design for Artassi: https://i.imgur.com/zHmSIJr.png  
> Design for Thorn: https://i.imgur.com/IbvROmn.png


	4. Rumors and Rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Silk takes a moment to rest and learns what's been going on in the Queen's Gardens since she left.

Silk ran down the pathway as a familiar warmth and light of the Hallownest Hotspring poured through the cavern. After just a moment, she arrived into a massive sprawling spring cavern filled with warm glowing water. The humidity of the cavern was palpable, and surprisingly the springs were remarkably quiet. All of the bugs in the springs were, rather conveniently for Silk, spread out across the enormous pool. Silk happily stepped into the spring and felt a familiar warmth flow over her. After a moment, Silk lowered her entire body except for her head into the water and reflected.

Often in the Queen’s Gardens Silk would journey to the nearby springs to relieve her of anxiety. There was something innate about them that made her feel not just well-rested after a visit, but also helped her feel more complete somehow. She always journeyed out to the more isolated springs to avoid the awkwardness of striking up conversation with whomever she found herself with. On occasion, Silk would even find Quest in those same isolated springs and spend a while with him. He’d always try to talk to her at first, but after a few moments they’d both drift into comfortable silence.

Suddenly it washed over Silk that she had, fundamentally, abandoned Quest and her other siblings to go on a wild ride set up by a shade who mostly tormented her. Unfortunately, this shade also had such a nasty habit of extremely bizzare accuracy, even if it took  _ hours _ to see the full effects they described to her. Quietly, she spoke out.

“...Rebound, are you there?” She said, very carefully making sure her voice was too quiet for those nearby to hear.

“Of course.” Rebound said, though with a more relaxed tone than usual.

“...Are you...resting in the spring?” She said

“I...can’t, not in a way that matters. This place just feels nice, you know?” Those words hit Silk like a bullet, as possibly the single most down-to-hallownest thing they had said to her in their entire set of interactions.

“...Yeah, I know exactly what you mean.” She continued.

“The running water is fairly soothing. While you sleep, I spend a good deal of time in these places listening to the bugs commune with one another about the happenings of Hallownest. This place-- no,  _ these _ places, are home for me.” They stopped and paused for a moment. “...Sorry, that was rambly.”

“N-no! It was nice to hear. I kinda wish you would talk like that more often.” Silk said, happy to have had a genuine, nice conversation for once.

“Artassi is nearly back. He has news for you.” Rebound said, back to a slightly more cold way of speaking that mildly upset Silk. Baby steps, she supposed.

“SILK! You’ll NEVER believe what I just saw and heard.” Artassi cried out much louder than Silk was used to, startling her a bit. Before she could say anything, he continued. “Quest just used SOUL to make his own spell! This is a major breakthrough in vessel’s use of magic!!”

A few questions floated around in Silk’s mind. How could SOUL be used for magic? And most importantly, what spell did Quest cast? Isn’t he best at using the nail? Is he good at magic  _ too? _ The thought riddled Silk with insecurity. Before she could present even a single one of these ideas, Artassi continued again.

“Ah, but, that’s not  _ really _ the most important thing that’s going on in the Queen’s Gardens, something really important and relevant to you is going down.” He said with a strong hint of anxiousness

“...What do you mean?” She spoke out.

“Well…” Artassi began.

 

*   
  


The Library had temporarily been closed off from the rest of the Gardens while the handmaidens were investigating the cause of the fire, which while it  _ had _ been put out immediately, had only been dealt with so effectively and swiftly because Silk, one of the more shy and well-behaved vessels, reported it. Just in case, the maidens were investigating for fire safety. The cause had immediately been blamed on a candle falling over, but what could have caused it to happen?

A few vessels who had asked why the library was closed off got vague answers-- something about a fire that Silk told the handmaidens about. Now the library was closed off for everyone’s safety. Nothing to worry about, it’ll probably be resolved by tomorrow.

Bishop, a vessel fond of keeping up-to-date with the activities of their siblings, pressed questions immediately, but the handmaidens were not present to greet them, so they asked the nearest sibling, Quest.

“What in  _ Hallownest _ is going on? Why have they closed off the library?” Bishop said with a great deal of passion and intrigue. Quest was taken aback. Did he even know this vessel? Probably not, but who cares.

“...I believe that there was a fire in the library that Silk reported. The handmaidens locked it off while they assess the situation.” He said, somewhat unsure, and clearly waiting to hear more from the maidens before moving along. Bishop immediately felt compelled to share this information with their other siblings.

It didn’t take a detective to figure that whoever smelt it dealt it. Clearly Silk set the library on fire, and  _ obviously _ the reason she’s not around now is to escape the consequences. It’s always the quiet types! Bishop head off to tell the other siblings what they think.

“Did you hear about the library fire? ...Well, you know what  _ I _ heard? I heard that Silk  _ started _ the fire. You didn’t hear it from me, though!” Bishop spoke in quiet whispers to practically every sibling they came across. It didn’t take very long, however, for this story to fester and mutate into something much grander. 

“I was there-- I saw Silk run out of the library after the fire started.” They said, and then to the next vessel “The fire damaged a good amount of the building, too! Silk is gonna be in  _ so _ much trouble for this.” This cascading effect continued, vessel after vessel, until the original story was barely recognizable.

“SILK IS SO BRAVE.” some vessels cried out. “I WOULD DIE FOR HER.” others called. 

“You know what I heard? I heard that Silk burned down the library and it spread to the  _ entire _ nearby area, which is why they sealed it off.”

“I was there!! That happened, I saw it spread WAY out of control with my own eyes!”

“I saw them wheeling out Silk in a body bag! I can’t believe something so awful happened to her.”

“I heard Adan set the fire with his magic because he got into an argument with Silk!”

“Well, I heard…”

 

*

 

“...So, let me get this straight.” Silk began, almost disillusioned to what she had just been told. “You heard my siblings think that I died in the library fire...which they correctly think I started...to fight back against the tyranny of the handmaidens?”

“Yeah, that’s about right.” Artassi said.

Silk sunk deeper into the warm water, riddled with grief and anxiety. It was far from the first time a rumor had spun way out of control, especially involving Silk. Many rumors about her had already run rampant through the Gardens, sometimes even involving handmaiden intervention to make sure Silk was okay. Last time, half the vessel population became convinced that Silk was a sociopathic murderer because of the voices she heard. Somehow this was probably worse.

“...Ah, and, your friend Quest, I think that he thinks you’re dead.” Artassi finished.

“...What!? O-oh lord!! I have to go back to the Gardens--” Silk began to panic fairly loudly.

“You can’t, if you turn back now there’s no hope for the vessel in The Abyss.” Rebound said simply and sternly.

“B-But, Quest is gonna--” Silk tried to get out the words.

“Do you trust me, Silk?” Rebound said.

“...I...I suppose.” Silk said, nervous, but clearly going off the deep end for Rebound at this point.

“Then let’s get going. We have a lot more to traverse, and not a crazy amount of time to do so.” Rebound said.

Silk, swelling with anxiety even within the hotspring, got up and felt a billion times worse immediately. She reluctantly trudged out of the warm room and headed back out to the crossroads.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plotline comes from the Queen Mother AU, available at https://sothequeensays.tumblr.com/  
> Design for Silk: https://i.imgur.com/v92gXl4.png  
> Design for Rebound: https://i.imgur.com/HXMj5L0.png  
> Design for Artassi: https://i.imgur.com/zHmSIJr.png  
> Design for Bishop: https://i.imgur.com/LoxgBaH.jpg  
> Design for Quest: https://i.imgur.com/43TwtWx.png


	5. Poverty and Commerce

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Silk navigates through the marketplace in the Crossroads of Hallownest.

Silk journeyed through the crossroads further and entered a sparse marketplace. For the most part, travellers came through here to deliver goods to the capital of Hallownest using the stagways, but occasionally some will set up shop to scam passerby with price jacking based on emergencies. Needed a wheel? Don’t worry-- there’s one right here, only ten times the normal price. Basic ethics aside, this is simply the state of the world-- the poor beg, and the slightly less poor scam to become wealthy.

The rocks beneath her feet were cold and wet from the soft drops of water that leaked from the ceiling. Water from the surface? Perhaps, but it was difficult to say for sure. The area was so grim and cold that it made for poor travel. Silk tried her best to avoid eye contact with any nearby bugs so as to not stirr conversation, but she could tell others were staring at her.

As she continued down the market, suddenly in the corner of her eyes a large patch of greenery caught her eye. In a small section of the market, a large bush containing many red berries had sprouted, and a strange bug wearing a curved shell on their head stood before it, handing berries to random passerby. Occasionally an exceptionally hungry-looking bug would come by and the individual would give them a large handful of berries before they went off.

The bug’s shell helmet was a dirty brown, but it was evenly colored throughout, signalling deliberate color choice rather than a lack of cleanliness. What appeared to be red thorns protruded from the hat, and the bug had a gentle red and pink floral choker. Silk, curious and disarmed by their friendly appearance, worked up the courage to approach them.

“Hello little one!” He said as she walked up, and gently leaned in to whisper. “I would normally offer you some berries, but with such empty eyes I suspect you don’t need any.” His voice carried such a cheery and bouncy tone that this bug’s incredible insight didn’t completely scare Silk off.

“...Y-you!” Silk began, but then quieted down so that the rest of the market would hear her exasperation. “..You can tell what I am?”

“You aren’t the first of your kind I’ve seen, little one. Though you do tend to be few and far between. What takes you so far from the gardens?” He took a moment to hand more berries to passerby as Silk contemplated what to say next. However, as Silk was not the type to spill out her life’s secrets to a total stranger, she made an attempt to swap topics.

“H-how do you know about the gardens?” Silk asked

“I tried to journey there myself-- Hallownest is a remarkably hostile land, devoid of flora all around. Greenpath contains many fierce protectors of Unn, and other flora is few and far between. I sought the Queen’s Gardens to fill this void in my heart.” Before he could ask Silk a question, she continued.

“Who are you?” She asked curiously.

“I am Thistle, a snail shaman who excels in natural magic.” He said in a simple but proud tone.

“A snail shaman?” Silk pressed.

“We’re bugs who wear snail shells and practice a great deal of magic. I would have entered the Gardens and you could have met me there, perhaps even trained some of your kind in natural arcana, but the Queen’s Guard kept me from entry. It seems my kind is forbidden from entering the place. Perhaps the Queen does not trust the mystic arts?” Thistle’s tone fell from a chipper upbeat one to one of solemn reflection. “Or potentially a deeper rooted bigotry-- the thoughts of higher beings are not mine to pass judgement on.”

“So you can do magic?” Silk asked very curiously. Though she had been exposed to magic before, it had always been fairly basic elemental or light magic that her siblings performed. Nothing all that flashy or impressive, and she wanted to see what a more advanced magic user could do.

The shaman did not say a word in reply, and instead turned behind to examine the bush again. The berries were fairly sparse, and he pressed his hand against the bushes. After a moment, they began to glow a soft white and berries began to form. At first it was slow, but then the speed picked up until the bush was overflowing with them.

“However many hardships you face, one thing will remain constant.” He began, “Your kind do not need to eat. While a miraculous gift, the other bugs of Hallownest are not so fortunate. Many will starve, even under the wyrm’s rule.”

“Why can’t they get food?” Silk asked, concerned.

“A song of poverty and commerce!” He called out in excitement, and when Silk was blatantly confused he continued. “Let’s pretend for a moment that these berries are worth quite a lot. Let’s say that one berry could buy you a nail!” Silk nodded so he continued. “You could use some of these berries to pay someone to do work for you. Let's say you pay one of your siblings to help you in berries, and then you can get them to do what you want.”

“Alright…” Silk said. The analogy was far from perfect-- Why would her siblings want these berries? Silk tried her best to go along with it anyways.

“But once you have a good amount of berries, you’re suddenly hit with a great idea! What if you paid one of your siblings to harvest  _ more _ berries?” He said with a great deal of focus and intention. “And after a while you have a great deal more berries than you even know what to do with.”

“Well, that’s okay! I can just give them to my siblings since I don’t really need them all anyways!” Silk said happily.

“Well I’m glad to hear that! Sharing is caring, after all.” He said before continuing. “However, not every single one of your siblings is so kind! I’m sure at least one of them would enjoy the power that comes with these berries quite a lot! After all, if everyone wants these berries, and you  _ have _ the berries, then you can get them to do whatever you wish.”

Silk reflected on this for a moment. A few siblings came to mind-- perhaps even The Queen herself! If some of the more rowdy siblings could be controlled with these berries, she would almost certainly use them to help keep them under control.

“So the bugs who have berries get more and more berries, until suddenly there’s none left on the bush. Bugs like you who didn’t take more than they needed will eventually go hungry!” He spoke in a tense and stern tone which carried the weight of thousands of hungry bugs. “Now back to the real world-- something similar has already happened! Many bugs are hungry in Hallownest, so I stay here and feed the hungry passerby.”

“That’s really nice of you!” Silk said gleefully. She was beginning to wonder why the White Lady even kept the vessels in The Gardens since everyone she’d met so far had been so kind and thoughtful. No doubt the more combat-ready vessels would be able to protect themselves!

“I also teach spells to those able to use them, so that they might help feed the starving of Hallownest. I’d grant this gift to you, but given your genetics I’d say you wouldn’t be able to wield it.” 

“...My genetics?” Silk said. What the heck were genetics?

“Wyrm’s blood runs through your very being! Can’t you tell?” He ran his hand across Silk’s wings. “Such delicate form-- clearly inherited from your father-- not unlike another of your kind I’ve met, though how different the two of you are!” Before Silk could say anything, he continued.

“You’ve caught me talking about myself-- so much so that I had nearly forgotten the original purpose of our conversation! Why have you travelled all the way here? Surely not for the ambiance.” He said with a great deal of conviction, like he had figured out Silk’s tricks.

“...W-well...I…” She struggled to find the words. Should she lie? It felt pointless to lie to this shaman who could clearly tell so much just from surface-level examination. “...A ghost told me to.” she said plain and simply.

“Ah! So is this little one with you?” Thistle said while he gestured to her side, though Silk saw nothing but air. “I suspect from your expression that you can’t see them as I can. These little shadows wander through all of Hallownest, though since you’ve arrived I’ve noticed more are here than usual. You attract a fair amount of them!”

“Y-you can see them??” Silk said somewhat exasperated.

“Only somewhat-- they’re very fuzzy and a bit difficult to see, but they leave impressions in the world as they float about. If they can speak, then they fall to deaf ears. I had never seen them before, but a few weeks ago they began to pop up all over the place! I feared it signaled end times, until I met some of your siblings.” Thistle said in an expressive and curious way.

“Who of my siblings have you met?” Silk inquired further.

“Most have been quite unlike you. Some avoid me, others come to me asking for magic advice. They are much more like the White Lady than you, so they are much more primed to receive my gifts. Where are you heading?” He asked while gathering some more berries.

“I’m heading to the depths of Hallownest...to save a sibling.” Silk laid out plainly.

“Hmm… I believe there is a gift I can help you with, if you’ll receive it. It’ll help you navigate the darkness much better-- you may need it on your journey ahead.” Thistle said in a helpful and pressing manner. Silk nodded excitedly. Anything to help deal with the pesky darkness! Thistle muttered an enchantment and white particles gathered around Silk and flooded into her.

As the spell coursed through her she felt slightly overwhelmed by the new surge of power. Luckily, this was an incredibly minor spell, so it wasn’t nearly enough to knock her off her feet. As she absorbed it, she felt the same warm comfort that the hotsprings gave her, and felt not just at ease but also felt overcome with a sense of achievement.

“If you focus, you’ll be able to glow in the dark now! Be careful though, once you run out of SOUL the spell will falter, and you’ll be engulfed with darkness anew. Why don’t you try it now?” He said excitedly

Silk took a deep breath and focused. The handmaidens had described the process of focusing SOUL before, but until now she didn’t have any actual spells to make use of it. After a few moments, White particles formed around Silk and she began to glow a fairly bright white light.

“Very well done! You’ve got quite a knack for magic-- perhaps some day you can use the mighty spells the king himself wields.” His voice had a sense of wonder that inspired Silk. “Be careful, though! Wouldn’t want to use up all of your SOUL this early in the trip!”

Silk focused again and the glow stopped.

“You can replenish SOUL at the hot springs, or by attacking the more wild bugs of Hallownest and stealing the very essence of their being. As for your trip, it’s quite a task to undertake! I hope you safe travels.” He said softly.

“I-I should probably get going, but it was really nice to meet you!” Silk said as she began to back away.

“And to you as well.” He said before he began to hand out berries to passerby again. Silk turned and began to walk back through the market, only briefly perusing the items on sale before arriving at the tram station.

The tram was massive, intimidating and fairly loud. When it arrived, it came to a screeching halt before the doors slid open and several bugs poured through. The machine towered over Silk, dim light illuminated the interior of the tram and 

“...Those tram passes cost quite a bit of geo, and you have none.” Artassi said, breaking the brief moment of silence. “There’s a tunnel you can take to your left, but it’s quite dark.”

“It’s a good thing I have this new spell, then!” Silk said confidently and walked into the dark tunnel. Navigating this tunnel with her own glowlight made the travel much more pleasant and less scary. There wasn’t even anything else  _ in _ the tunnel, so it was just brief and quiet travel. After a few moments of walking through a somewhat wet and narrow cavern, she emerged on the other side to find that she had stumbled into a graveyard of sorts.

“The resting grounds harbor many deceased bugs. If you and your siblings aren’t careful, I suspect that this place could fill up quickly.” Rebound said in their usual chilling tone.

“Try to travel through here quietly and respectfully-- many bugs here are conducting ceremonies or prayer.” Artassi said sympathetically. With that, Silk began to journey through the large graveyard, feeling a sense of unease in the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plotline comes from the Queen Mother AU, available at https://sothequeensays.tumblr.com/  
> Design for Silk: https://i.imgur.com/v92gXl4.png  
> Design for Thistle: https://i.imgur.com/SR7Wlr2.png  
> Design for Rebound: https://i.imgur.com/HXMj5L0.png  
> Design for Artassi: https://i.imgur.com/zHmSIJr.png


	6. Prayers and Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Silk enters the resting grounds and contemplates death.

Before Silk journeyed through the dim grounds she deactivated her spell. She could feel an encapsulating feeling of sorrow sweep through the air which almost felt suffocating. Across the entire area, graves filled the landscape. Occasionally she would walk close enough to a bug to hear bitter weeping. Eventually, her curiosity got the better of her and she began to read the tombstones she walked by.

The first one she looked at was a traditional guard’s burial; a tall stone pillar topped with the crest of Hallownest bearing a descriptive placard on the front side of it. It read, “THORAL K. PLESTARI” and beneath it was an engraving of a moth. “HALLOWNEST ARMY. CRYSTAL PEAKS. PURPLE HEART. MAY HIS SACRIFICES NEVER BE IN VAIN.”

Silk examined the next, but it didn’t have a placard of any type. It was a short and stubby tombstone with curved edges and a single 10-geo piece wedged into the front of it. She couldn’t remember the exact details of this type of burial, but it was likely for more common bugs that didn’t serve in the army.

Looking ahead, the pathway was unbearably long. The exhausting feeling in the air reminded her of The Abyss, but luckily this time at least the skulls weren’t visible. How many have died for Hallownest to exist? Silk tried to just move forward with her head down so as to not draw any attention.

“This place won’t bring you any happiness, that’s for sure.” Artassi said in a respectful whisper, even though nobody but Silk could hear him. When Silk was a good distance from any other bugs, she whispered a reply.

“This place is terrible-- why did we have to come through here?”

“The City of Tears was our only other option, and that place is loaded with guards who could spot you!” Artassi said, somewhat exasperated, like Silk should’ve already known that. Silk sighed and tried to get her mind off of the current situation. She wondered how things were going in The Gardens. Had the rumors gotten worse?

 

*

 

Quest cornered Bishop and spoke simply but impatiently. “I don’t understand-- you’ve been the one who keeps going around saying Silk died in the fire, but now you’re telling me that you  _ weren’t even there? _ ” His words cut through Bishop like knives.

“I-I’m sorry, Quest! I was just trying to, y’know, spread a little bit of gossip…” their voice trailed off out of shame. “...I-it’s just that...Nobody’s heard from or seen Silk since the fire, a-and it’s not like she’d just run away or anything!”

“You’ve never even MET her!” Quest snapped a bit, but quickly reeled himself in. Bishop made a good point, even if all of this trouble was started by them. Quest stepped to the side and Bishop quickly walked away to avoid any more questioning. Quest’s aggressive confidence shattered in an instant. The evidence was overwhelming that something terrible had happened to Silk.

Earlier, Silk had tried to talk to him about how she was feeling-- stressed and anxious, but he pushed her away and disregarded her feelings. Suddenly, she acted out and potentially took her own life in that fire. It would explain a lot, especially why the handmaidens had sealed off the area. If only he had listened to her earlier-- No, he couldn’t think like that. He still didn’t even know for sure.

He needed answers, but the handmaidens weren’t currently answering questions about what had happened at the library and had locked off the area. What in deepnest were they doing over there?? In order to find out what had happened to Silk, he was going to have to start asking more trustworthy sources.

 

*

 

Silk approached a large, raised platform with three singular pillars on it. There were three empty holes where Masks could be placed into, as well as a placard which had nothing inscribed on it yet.

“What’s this for?” Silk asked investigatively

“I’m not sure!” Artassi said almost gleefully-- perhaps thirsty to solve the mystery? “These were placed under construction just a few days ago, but they randomly stopped. I have no idea what masks will go in these, assuming masks are put in at all!”

Silk stared at it pensively for a few moments before deciding to move on. While it was very unusual that a shrine be interrupted abruptly as Artassi described, it wasn’t unusual enough to get distracted from getting out of this creepy graveyard. Silk approached a steep drop, and when she wasn’t told to do anything else, fluttered her wings to begin descent.

“Something’s wrong.” Artassi said suddenly as Silk landed briefly to rest her wings.

“What do you mean?” Rebound said.

“Optic just reported over 50 guards travelling by stagway towards Dirtmouth. It’s unclear what they’re doing there.” Artassi’s voice carried hints of confusion and panic. “They’re gonna keep an eye on the situation for us.”

“What in Wyrm’s name are they doing over there?” Rebound said with genuine interest and a hint of distress.

“Don’t you know?” Silk asked thoughtfully.

“...My foresight doesn’t work like that.” Rebound said almost shamefully.

“How  _ does _ it work then?”

“I can only see  _ your _ future-- and only so far. The only ones who can foresee everything to my knowledge are Regulus and the king himself.” 

“...But, how do you know what I need to do differently then, if you can’t see  _ everything _ in the future?” Silk asked, worried.

“I just do whatever seems like the best outcome for you. Of course, sometimes unintended consequences come up later, but I’ve got a pretty good success rate so far.” Rebound said confidently.

“...Who’s Optic?” Silk asked to change the subject while gently fluttering down a cliffside. As much as she wanted to ask more, she started to feel like knowing more about Rebound’s limits was somewhat dangerous.

“They’re a shade who specializes in...watching things.” Rebound said slightly awkwardly. “They don’t speak, and don’t really like doing much except staring at vessels and nature. They nearly always stream whatever they’re looking at to the shade hivemind, but I’m not sure exactly what they do whenever they’re not doing that.”

As Silk descended further down the cliffside that seemed to go on forever, more and more white ash fell from above her until it resembled snow. Massive pale plants sprung from the walls around her and gave off a gentle mist which provided a thick white fog for the area. The thick smell of death permeated through the air and filled Silk with dread. She took a moment to observe the a piece of fallen ash.

“H-hey, this feels kinda like my shell! Where is this coming from anyways?” Silk asked.

“There’s a massive corpse throughout this edge of the kingdom which is slowly decaying. I’m...not sure about the history behind it, to be honest.” Artassi said, somewhat upset.

Silk descended further down the cliffside with thorough use of her wings. At least all of this exercise was good for her! She reached the base of the cliffside and noticed several pipelines that pumped straight through here and dumped into a pool of water.

“Excess water from the city. They don’t know what to do with it all, so a lot of it gets drained around the kingdom.” Artassi said.

“Can I see the city?” Silk asked curiously.

“Eventually, but not for awhile-- it’s much too dangerous.” Rebound said. The way they spoke almost carried a deep hint of sorrow, like Silk was really missing out on something.

“Into that tunnel.” Rebound said simply. Silk approached it and immediately noticed immense darkness. After a moment of focusing, she lit up and walked into it. The tunnel continued onwards with a fair amount of ash coating the floor. Up ahead, the cold stone floor thinned and bridged over a large chasm. However natural a formation, it looked like it was a small tremor away from collapsing. Silk hesitated.

“Don’t worry, it’s safe.” Rebound said with a hint of impatience. “You spent more time with Thistle than I anticipated, so we have to keep up the pace.”

Silk took a few careful steps, and once she felt reassured of the bridge’s safety, she walked more normally. This, however, quickly became one of Silk’s greatest mistakes, as immediately she lost her footing and fell forward onto it, knocking a rock or two off the platform and into the seemingly bottomless pit. THUD! Mild cracking of the bridge echoed through the tunnel, and after just a moment, the cracking stopped.

“Oof! Are you alright?” Artassi asked, almost chuckling. Silk was almost paralyzed with fear-- That was a close one! After a moment of shaking, she got up. When she fully stood up, the bridge roared with a sudden crack and caved in beneath her feet.

“S-SILK!” Rebound cried out. Anguish?  _ Terror? _ Silk couldn’t react that effectively to the situation and began to flail, falling very quickly. “CLOSE YOUR WINGS! NOW!” Rebound shouted.

“W-WHA--” Silk began to question. Shouldn’t she fly??

“ _ NOW!! _ ” Rebound’s voice flooded through her skull and reached every corner of her being. She folded her wings over each other and pressed them against her body. Almost immediately Silk noticed just how cramped this ‘bottomless’ pit was. She fell further and further into the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And way down we go.  
> =========================================================  
> Plotline comes from the Queen Mother AU, available at https://sothequeensays.tumblr.com/  
> Design for Silk: https://i.imgur.com/v92gXl4.png  
> Design for Rebound: https://i.imgur.com/HXMj5L0.png  
> Design for Artassi: https://i.imgur.com/zHmSIJr.png  
> Design for Bishop: https://i.imgur.com/LoxgBaH.jpg  
> Design for Quest: https://i.imgur.com/43TwtWx.png


	7. Shadows and Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Silk ventures through a horrible dark tunnel for a while.

Silk awoke in near pitch black darkness. Incredibly dim light radiated from her shell as what little SOUL she had remaining powered her spell. When she moved, she realized she was floating on a large pool of water. How far down it went she couldn’t tell, but it was deep enough that she somehow managed to survive the drop. She unravelled her wings, which despite being damp were perfectly fine.

“A-are you okay?” Rebound’s voice flushed forward. It was shaken. Panicked. Silk could not bring herself to speak from the sheer shock of the entire situation. She swam to a nearby shoreline, struggled to pull herself up, and then collapsed on her back.

“I...think I’m okay.” Silk finally said. Only now could she really feel the exhaustion of her entire journey. All the walking and flying. How long had she been gone…? “I thought that you said the bridge was safe…”

“I...I’m sorry.” Rebound’s voice was flooded with sorrow and regret. Silk was almost taken aback by it-- it made it difficult to stay upset with them. She had always wished that Rebound would be more personable. More...like the rest of the vessels, but...not like this. “You caught me off guard when you tripped-- I should have told you to stay still after that.”

Silk stumbled forward, using the dim light to guide her, and eventually bumped into something that she couldn’t quite make out.

“That’s a SOUL totem. You...don’t have a nail...Just touch it and focus.” Rebound said anxiously. When Silk did so, she felt a brief warm feeling overtake her, akin to the hot springs, and then it faded out. Almost immediately her light spell flared back up to full brightness and illuminated the surrounding cavern.

The cave didn’t quite seem natural-- there were deliberate carvings into the walls which were far too intricate to be coincidental. They didn’t seem to depict anything, but they curved together with zipper-like patterns.

“Watch your step.” Rebound said. Silk froze up, and looking right in front of her, found several shadow creeper corpses. 

...Wait, no, these are molts.

Silk carefully stepped over the somewhat fresh molts and travelled further down the tunnel, which seemed to be heading steeply downward.

“Where does this lead?” Silk asked shakily.

“I...asked Artassi to check for sure, but this seems to be heading down towards The Abyss.” Rebound said somewhat confidently.

“O-Oh! W-well, that’s good then, right?” Silk asked.

“It kinda messes with the timing of everything, but we can work with this.” Rebound’s voice was, over time, restoring to it’s cool and confident tone, which Silk had mixed feelings about. Rebound panicking was a bit gut wrenching, but it was nice to hear some genuine emotion.

The cavern slowly grew wider and even more deliberate. Occasionally Silk would walk past strange benches and tables covered in stones, but kept a level head and continued downwards. She walked past a massive SOUL totem and quickly refreshed herself before continuing onwards.

“Hey, wait, you see that weird egg thing at the base of the totem?” Rebound asked. Silk turned and looked at the base of the totem, and found a strange sphere with intricate engravings on it. Holding it gave off a mysterious vibe that she couldn’t quite place. “Take it with you, it’ll be pretty useful later.”

“Do I just carry it?” Silk inquired.

“There’s a small bag on a table further down, you can use that to carry some of the more...exotic items we’re going to be getting.” Rebound said somewhat frantically.

Silk sighed somewhat anxiously and headed further downwards.

 

*

 

“Your highness! I’ve been looking for you!” Quest called out somewhat frantically after sparring class while lightly jogging up to Blossom.

“Quest, there’s no need to call me that, really!” Blossom said, somewhat exasperated.

“I-I know, but…” Quest stopped speaking aloud and began to speak with Blossom telepathically so as to not draw too much attention. While many vessels communicated almost exclusively with the medium, it often felt a little more intimate than Quest was really comfortable with, so he avoided it when he could.

_ I need help saving Silk.  _ Quest’s thoughts had a degree of rigidity and discomfort to them. Was he anxious? Insecure?

_ Who’s Silk? _

Quest took a moment to recall a mental picture of what Silk looked like, along with some other sample memories of her.

_ Oh! I know her, I just never learned her name. She’s very...seclusive. What’s wrong? _

_ I think she may have left The Gardens to head into The Abyss. _ Quest realized that they were awkwardly standing in the middle of the courtyard and gestured to come sit down on a bench. They began to walk together to a quieter area.

_ Why would she ever do that? _

_ She kept telling me that she was hearing...voices, and that they urged her to head into The Abyss. I didn’t take her seriously, and now here we are. _ They arrived at the bench and sat down. Quiet, calming music played from a nearby speaker.

_ Do you have any other proof? _ Blossom’s thoughts were a little frightening. His…”evidence” was all anecdotal and coincidental.

_I’ve been thinking about how I’d get there if I was Silk,_ _and I realized the only safe way to get there is through the Crossroads and down into Kingdom’s Edge. Everywhere else in Hallownest has powerful enemies or guards that could catch her._ Blossom considered the statement briefly-- Without a nail or any spells, there was no way Silk would be able to truly journey anywhere unruly.

_ And that’s not all-- Silk was last spotted at the Library, which has a tunnel that leads straight into Fog Canyon. Theoretically, if she started a fire there and told the handmaidens… _

_ She could escape while they were distracted. _

_ Precisely. _

_ We’ll both be in a lot of trouble if we get caught. _ Blossom reflected, somewhat sharply, yet it had a light tone to it.

_ And I could be wrong, as well. _

_ I caught a glimpse at mom’s maps that she used to burrow us to The Gardens...The dirt may still be loose enough to dig through again. _

_...T-thank you, your highness. _

 

*

 

Silk reached the end of the cavern with a small bag with random stones in it. She didn’t understand the purpose of taking these strange egg-shaped rocks, but took them all anyways. At the end of the cavern she found a mound of skulls that seemed to lead upwards.

“Okay, so this isn’t going to be exactly  _ pleasant, _ but you need to climb up those skulls.” Artassi said rather plainly, given the circumstances.

“What?! I don’t wanna do that!!” Silk protested anxiously.

“Well, you can either go out this way, or turn back and go all the way home. Good luck with that one.” Artassi said snarkily. Silk huffed a few times before tucking her wings in and beginning to climb. After nearly reaching the top of the mound, she also reached the ceiling of the cave.

“Now what?” Silk asked confused.

“You’ll need to go  _ into _ the pile to climb further.” Rebound said in a calm, but reassuring tone. Silk moaned and pushed in. She could barely make out any details in this mound, but thanks to her light spell could somewhat make out where to go. She climbed upwards for what felt like forever before finally reaching the top and crawling all the way out. What normally would’ve been quite reassuring instead sent chills up her back.

“Welcome home, Silk.” Artassi said. “Welcome back to The Abyss.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plotline comes from the Queen Mother AU, available at https://sothequeensays.tumblr.com/  
> Design for Silk: https://i.imgur.com/v92gXl4.png  
> Design for Rebound: https://i.imgur.com/HXMj5L0.png  
> Design for Artassi: https://i.imgur.com/zHmSIJr.png  
> Design for Blossom: https://i.imgur.com/NXSVhyg.jpg


	8. Rebound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Silk and Rebound have a discussion about their feelings. Quest and Blossom meet a mysterious stranger!

Silk froze up. The darkness felt encompassing and crushing. Without mother’s light...this place never felt lonelier.

“Silk, try to stay focused.” Rebound said, though not very sternly. “You see that lighthouse over there? Head that way.” Silk was shaking, but began to walk.

“W-what’s over there?” Silk asked tensely.

“Nothing-- it’s just the nearest landmark.” Rebound replied. Silk carefully took steps so as to not step on any skulls on the way. Looking up, the lighthouse light shone brightly, yet despite its incandescent power, the light could not pierce through the suffocating depth of The Abyss.

“Stop and turn left.” Rebound said, and after a slight sigh, Silk did as such. She saw three distinct skulls, each broken in some form or another. One seemed fairly standard-- two symmetric horns that curved upwards and hooking outwards, as well as a single horn coming out of the top center of its head.

The other two, though...One was highly cracked along the top, and didn’t seem to have any eyeholes. The other had  _ four _ eyeholes, as well as several broken off horns. With closer observation, Silk realized that the horns would’ve been crown-like, only bending downwards instead of upwards.

“Here I fell.” Rebound broke through the silence. “You behold my skull now.” Words which flooded over Silk like a tsunami. Of course Rebound died, and would have a skull, but… “Look underneath it.” Rebound ushered. Silk hesitated to touch it, but did so. Underneath she found a gray charm which somewhat resembled a flower. “Take it. I hope this was worth everything it cost me.” Silk grabbed it and placed it in her bag. “Take my skull, too. It’s the reason why we’re here--or at least, the reason I told you.”

“W-what?! You said that we were coming here to save a vessel!” Silk cried out. 

“We are, and we have. I never said that the vessel we were saving was alive.” Rebound replied, somewhat coldly.

“T-that’s cheating! Y-you never told me that this entire trip would just be for your stupid skull! Was this  _ ALL _ for nothing!?” Silk raised her voice loud enough for it to softly echo throughout the endless cavern.

“This trip was more important than you could  _ EVER _ understand.” Rebound’s sharp words cut through her like a knife to warm butter. “Silk, you spend so much time sitting by yourself, afraid of even your own  _ SIBLINGS _ , that if this keeps up you will die before you ever truly even _ begin _ to live.” Silk glanced down at the skull in her bag.

“Day after day,  _ week after week, _ you sit around doing nothing,  _ wasting away _ while thousands of us shades are mere onlookers to you. This trip had  _ NOTHING _ to do with me.” Rebound’s voice was getting more and more emotional as every word came out. If they could cry, they probably would soon. “You were supposed to find this charm when you left the first time, but because you’re so afraid, you didn’t take the few  _ steps _ necessary to see it. And now, we’re all the way back here.” Silk teared up a little and shook somewhat, looking straight down at the ground now.

“...I’m sorry.” Rebound said, much softer and quieter than before. “We don’t have to stay here for much longer, there are only two more things you need to grab. Then I won’t bother you anymore, alright?” Silk couldn’t bring herself to reply. “Pick up the other two skulls in front of you, and then just walk forward for a while-- we’re gonna grab another charm.”

Silk did as she was told, and silently walked forward.

 

*   
  


“It won’t be much further now.” Blossom said while Quest took a brief break from tunneling. Primarily Blossom controlled whatever nearby roots could be controlled to help dig, while Quest used his tendrils to do most of the work. “Are you out of SOUL?”

“I got a few more pushes in me, let’s keep going!” Quest said with incredible spirit before casting the spell once again. His tendril dug deeper and deeper through the dirt, clearing a moderate-sized hole before suddenly piercing through to an open tunnel. “I-I think I found the opening!”

Quest reeled in his tendril and Blossom used the nearby roots to push aside the remaining dirt and stones. The dim light from the ancient basin poured into the tunnel, and Quest stepped outwards gripping his training nail, wary of potential danger.

“You’re here,” A tired voice called out from the room they entered, fluttering in the air and looking down on them. There before Quest was a calico vessel with short, crown-like horns with a clear yet tired voice.

“Who are--” Quest began, but was cut off shortly thereafter.

“Regulus!” Blossom said excitedly, walking up to see the little king more closely.

"Thank you for listening to me, Blossom," Regulus said, ignoring Quest's cut-off question. "We must hurry."

“Who are you? And-- why aren’t you in the gardens like everyone else?” Quest said cautiously, still gripping his nail. Possibilities festered and churned within Regulus’s mind.

"I am Regulus," he said calmly. "Ask Mother, and she will tell you why I am. Though--" he tilted his head slyly "--you'd have to admit your own absence to do so." Quest sighed gently. Talking to Regulus seemed even more exhausting than trying to cheer up Silk. "But that is irrelevant. I am here to show you what you seek." 

Regulus fluttered down to the ground and looked outwards, sharply saying, "Follow me," and began to walk towards a darker segment of the basin. After moving a large rock, a small tunnel was revealed-- just large enough to crawl through.

“Our birthplace awaits you,” He said, gesturing to the hole, before Blossom hugged him, which seemed to catch him somewhat off guard. After a moment, he backed away slightly. “And make sure you keep your crawler hidden for a while when you return, Quest.” He had played his role, and with it fulfilled, he left in a hurry.

“Wait, what? What crawler?!” Quest called out as Regulus fled, but received no clarity. “...Is he always like that? Helpful, but like, not really?” His tone carried equal parts of stress and confusion.

“I don’t really understand it myself, but I’m sure he has a good reason for being so cryptic!” Blossom replied hopefully. Quest huffed quietly, before turning back towards the revealed entrance.

 “...A-are you ready, Your Highness?” Quest said anxiously.

Blossom nodded and crawled into the small hole, which Quest soon followed suit.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Silk, Quest, and Blossom all meet in The Abyss

Quest and Blossom emerged from the other end of the long tunnel to find themselves near the base of The Abyss, looking out over a massive field of skulls and eggs. Silk wasn’t in sight anywhere. Off in the distance stood the massive lighthouse, which continued to shine brightly.

“AaaaHH!! Your highness!!” Quest called out excitedly. When Blossom looked over, Quest was hugging a baby Shadow Creeper and almost falling forward from the added weight. “Can I keep it??”

“You can ask mama after we get back!” Blossom said cheerfully before walking up to them. “What are you gonna name it?”

“Mmmm…. How about Obsidian?” Quest said somewhat decisively.

“I like it!” Blossom said, affirmingly. Quest seemed satisfied and put Obsidian on his shoulder, who seemed to hold still at least for the time being. The three began to walk forward and towards the lighthouse.

 

*

 

“Stop-- It’s right in front of you.” Rebound said after what felt like hours of silence. Silk looked down to see a skull with a single massive eyehole, still in its egg. “This one didn’t make it very far.” They said somewhat disjointedly. “The skull isn’t important, just the charm underneath it.” Silk picked up the skull to find an intricate charm with engravings in the center that seemed to represent an eye.

“That’s all we need. Head back to the lighthouse.” Rebound said, and so, Silk spun around and began her paces back. What Rebound said to her was really starting to eat her up, but she wasn’t sure what to think. She wished, however briefly, that Rebound had gotten to live instead of her.

“SILK!” A voice cried out in the distance. When she looked up, she saw Quest and Blossom standing by the lighthouse. Quest began to sprint towards her, and so Silk did the same.

“Quest!” Silk cried out cheerily.

“SILK!” Quest replied...angrily? Silk suddenly began to slow down before Quest grabbed her with his recently acquired spell, adaptive tendril, reeling her all the way in.

“aaAAAAHH!!” Silk cried out as she was quickly yanked towards him.

“Do you have ANY IDEA how dangerous this was!?!” Quest scolded as he held her in the air. “ANY NUMBER of things could’ve happened to you! You could’ve gotten lost, or badly injured, and NOBODY would have known where you went!!”

“W-well-” Silk tried to explain.

“That’s enough out of you!” Quest lashed back. “We’re going STRAIGHT back to the gardens.” He carried her back to the lighthouse, still keeping her in the tendril, not unlike a child leash. His grip was tight and uncomfortable, but Silk put up with it-- she probably deserved this.

“Q-Quest, be careful! Her shell is already cracked.” Blossom said anxiously.

“R-Right.” Quest said, loosening his grip. “...Thank you for helping me, your highness.” Quest said gratefully. “I couldn’t have done this without you.”

“No problem, Quest, I had...a feeling that this was the right call.” Blossom replied somewhat anxiously. “Are you going to carry her all the way back?”

“Well, evidently, letting her out of my sight is too dangerous, so yeah.” Quest sighed, taking a moment to pet Obsidian, who made little chirping noises in response. “W-wait! Oh my goodness-- Regulus told me to hide this one before we go back!”

“I-I h-have a bag…” Silk said shakily. Quest sighed and put her down, and began to put Obsidian in her bag.

“Y...you’re taking skulls?” Quest said, surprised. Blossom looked slightly distressed.

“W-well...Uh…” Silk stuttered a bit.

“Save it for when we get home.” Quest said sternly before turning around and beginning to walk back. Most of the walk was silent, not even a whisper from Rebound or Artassi.

“We should probably cave in the tunnel behind us when we get to the top, right?” Quest said simply, and Blossom nodded. They began their ascent back up, and Silk’s illumination spell helped guide the way. Silk deliberated anxiously, and suddenly the words began to flow out.

“...Q-Quest, I’m sorry.” Silk mumbled, but he did not stop walking. She walked slightly faster to keep up. “T-These voices, they’re not...just in my head, they’re real! They’re the ghosts of our dead siblings--!” Quest stopped and looked down at Silk. Once again, he had the sympathetic look she has always known.

“Voices?” Blossom whispered to herself. She wasn’t...exactly clear on some of the details with Silk.

“Silk…” Quest began, “I know you’re a bit shaken up, but now’s not the time. These voices aren’t real-- and you could’ve gotten seriously hurt doing what you did today.” After a pause, he let out a deep sigh. “There wasn’t even anyone in The Abyss for you to find, as I told you there wouldn’t be.” Anxiety swelled up in Silk’s chest.

“I-I needed to get these skulls! This is what was left behind!” Silk cried out, which caused Blossom to stop and turn around as well.

“This needs to wait until we get back to the house, okay?” Quest said somewhat sternly. Silk sighed and looked down at the ground.

“Alright…” She said, and then the three continued upwards. After a relatively long walk in silence, they reached the top. Quest stuck his head out for a moment. 

“...Looks like the coast is clear.” He said cautiously before walking out. “Ready to collapse the tunnel?”

Blossom nodded and after Silk got out safely, she used her magic to shake the roots, causing the dirt to loosen and cave in again.

“Thank you for everything, your highness. I’ll...never forget this.” Quest said sympathetically. After giving a gentle bow to Blossom, he continued. “I guess I’ll see you in class tomorrow? Maybe I can try to explain what exactly this trip was about the next time we meet. ”

“Okay-- See you around, and try to stay out of trouble until then, Silk!” Blossom said jokingly before walking off. Quest and Silk continued towards the house before stopping at the door.

“...Alright, so what’s this skull business about? I need to know everything before we even think about going in.” Quest said somewhat aggressively. “Empty the bag.” 

Silk pulled out the skulls and the two charms, along with Obsidian who began chirping at the nearby lumma flies, and a bunch of strange eggs that Rebound told her to take along the way. Quest immediately got hung up on one of them.

“I...I recognize this one. I met a vessel shortly after hatching who had the same horns. I...always assumed that they must’ve gotten lost in the shuffle.” He said with a strong, solemn note. “Who are these other two vessels?’

“I...I don’t know any of them, except this one.” Silk said, grabbing Rebound’s skull. “The…’voice’ I hear told me that this was their skull.” Quest looked down at the skull and stared for a moment before rising.

“Silk...I’m...sorry.” He said with a deep sigh, before grabbing her arm. “By the authority of the Queenmother, I, Quest, am performing a vessel’s arrest on you for the highest crime, fleeing from The Gardens without an authorized escort and without permission. I sentence you to…” Quest had a hard time finishing the sentence. It was supposed to be a week grounding for an  _ attempt _ of escape. A successful escape, plus the need for a rescue party which caused  _ more _ vessels to break the rules? But, at the same time...It’s Silk.

“...I sentence you to one day of jail time.” Quest said sternly. Silk began to freak out in place.

“J-J-JAIL?! I-I...I” Silk was immediately hysterically crying. “P-PLEASE QUEST!!” Quest did not speak, instead he began to escort her to the somewhat poorly constructed jail near the house, which he had made using plant fibers and spare stones. Any vessel with half wits about them could escape, but that was a lot to ask of his siblings who were being put in there.

“This is for your own good.” Quest’s words cut through Silk like nails against fruit. “You can leave when you’ve learned your lesson.” Silk couldn’t bring herself to say anything, only tears remained. He placed her in the cell and shut the door. “I’ll come back to get you tomorrow afternoon.”

Silk fell on her side and gently sobbed. Quest looked away sorrowfully and put the items back in the bag, and then took them inside.

“Tomorrow will be somewhat busy. But, for now, welcome home, Silk.” Rebound said distantly. Silk couldn’t quite muster a response.


	10. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After finishing her time-out, Silk addresses one last concern of Rebound's

“Alright, you’re set to go.” Quest said reluctantly, handing Silk her bag. Silk came out of the cell slowly and anxiously, and was then immediately hugged by Quest. “Don’t ever do that again, Silk. Please.” His voice carried deep sorrow and concern, before he took a few steps back.

“O-okay, Quest, I won’t. Promise.” Silk said, not quite able to look her clutchmate in the eyes. Quest seemed tense and uneasy. 

“I...have to go talk to Dryya about something, but I’ll be back later, okay?” His voice was somewhat shaky and uncomfortable. Who would’ve thought that leaving The Gardens just this once would’ve changed so much…

“Alright…” Silk said somewhat calmly. Quest nodded and backed away slowly, before turning and heading off. Silk had a feeling that their interactions would be this awkward for a while.

“I’ll try to make this quick.” Rebound said shortly. “The skull at the top of the bag, take it to Relic.”

“My classmate? But-- Hey-- This skull…” Silk began to put the pieces together.

“Yes, my skull looks very similar to Relic’s. You’ll find her by the main fountain, but hurry, she’s leaving soon.” Rebound ushered coldly. Silk did so with moderate haste, pushing through the busy courtyard. As she travelled, she noticed many vessels were staring at her, whispering to each other quietly.

“These rumors seem to have taken their toll.” Artassi said somewhat stressed. Silk came to the center fountain to see Relic with her head underwater making a stream of bubbles. Around here were three other vessels and a light green bee supervising them. The only other one she could recognize was Adan, who had invited her to join his magic club. She, of course, turned down the invitation, because the social nature of a club was too much for Silk.

Adan seemed to be talking to a vessel in a green cloak that split down the center, and was pointing at the fountain itself. The other vessel, a calico one, was admiring a nail, and seemed to be completely caught up in its details and quality.

Silk awkwardly walked up to Relic and tapped her on the back. When she did so, Relic spazzed slightly and fell into the water, before immediately rising back up to look at Silk. She hissed gently, which at first caught Silk off guard, before remembering that’s just how Relic speaks. Silk reached into her bag and pulled out the skull.

“Can you say for me that...I’m sorry...for leaving early, to Relic.” Rebound requested, though their voice wavered with a mixture of anxiety and sorrow.

“Um...T-the...The vessel who this skull belongs to, wants me to tell you...that they’re sorry for leaving early.” Silk said, clunkily trying to figure out how to phrase a sentiment that she didn’t even entirely understand. Relic grabbed the skull and stared at it for a while, not entirely sure what to make of it, before it suddenly seemed to click. Tears welled up in Relic’s eyes, and she hugged Silk.

“Alright. Just...keep everything else safe in your room. You can put the charms on if you want. I’ll come back when you need to use them.” Rebound said simply and finally.

“Where are you going?” Silk asked inquisitively. Relic seemed confused by Silk’s words.

“Oh, hello there!” The bee addressed Silk. “I didn’t see you, are you a friend of Relic’s?”

“U-um...Yes?” Silk said, uncertain. How good of a friend was she to Relic? She was losing focus-- What about Rebound?

“That’s nice! Do you want to jump in the fountain for a swim?” The bee quickly looked back over to make sure the other vessels she was supervising were still okay.

“N-no, thank you!” Silk said quickly. Water messed up her wings and made her uncomfortable. Silk took a step or two back.

“Alright-” The bee said again, not actually looking back. “C-Conji, don’t animate the fountain, please!” The vessel the bee spoke to looked as if he was about to cry all the sudden. “A-ah, please don’t be upset! It’s just, everyone uses this fountain!” Relic was showing the skull to Mittens and hissing like crazy. Silk decided to use the momentary confusion to back away and walk off again.

“R-Rebound, where are you going?” Silk called out again.

“They left.” Artassi said, somewhat concerned. “I haven’t seen them leave your side in...quite a while, actually.”

“W-what?!” Silk said, incredibly worried. “W-why!?”

“They didn’t say, but based on what happened in The Abyss, it’s probably just to give you some peace and quiet.” Artassi guessed. “But isn’t that what you wanted, anyways? You always complained about how anxious Rebound made you.”

“Well...I guess…” Silk looked in the bag again briefly. “What do I do now?”

“Whatever you want?” Artassi said, confused. “Isn’t that what living is all about?” Silk supposed she had nothing to say about that.

“I guess...I’ll go home and say hi to everyone-- They’ve probably been worried about me…” Silk sighed. She was probably going to arrive to a long lecture about responsibility and not wandering off. After a short knock, she entered the home. Corus, Tux, and Fern were all lying on the floor together drawing. Mote was, as usual, in the corner sewing together what appeared to be a short blue dress?

Panacea, Lummi, and Split were nowhere to be seen, while Quest, Jared, and Calvin were all playing hangbug on a piece of paper.

“Hi Silk!” Wynne called from the kitchen, she seemed to be cooking a small meal for herself. “M--Sigrun and Daedalus are out right now, but they’ll be back for tomorrow morning. Where have you been off to?”

“She was with me!” Quest called out while drawing the bug’s left arm. “Three more guesses, it’s your turn Calvin.” After a brief pause, he looked over to Silk, and then back to Wynne who turned back to look at the food she was cooking. He immediately sent Silk a mental ping.

_ Take that bag to our room and hide it under my bed. They don’t know you left. _ He commanded, and so Silk panicked slightly before running into Quest and hers room, and stuffing it under his bed.

_...Did they not notice? _ Silk asked, somewhat surprised.

_ They didn’t ask, especially since most of us aren’t even here every night.  _ Quest replied simply.  _ Wanna play hangbug? _

Silk didn’t really know how to feel about all the time she was gone being mostly unaccounted for, besides one off-handed comment Quest made to Wynne just now. After a moment of thinking to herself, she responded.

_...Sure, I’ll play. _ She said somewhat excited. It’d be nice to do something calm after all this chaos. Maybe, just maybe, life would be better without Rebound in it.


End file.
